


What We Don't Talk About

by vespergray



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-14 07:48:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29042649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vespergray/pseuds/vespergray
Summary: She knew what Betty would say. That this was going to end up killing her. That she couldn’t live on a diet of coke, sex with Jug and loud music forever.But she wanted to try. Because a long time ago, she figured out what made her soul not feel numb. Sex and drugs.
Relationships: Jughead Jones/Veronica Lodge
Kudos: 23





	What We Don't Talk About

Veronica blinked at the door in front of her, realizing she had no recollection of getting ready for this dinner with Archie and Betty. Or the car ride over. 

She glanced down at herself, feeling relief that her outfit was passable. She felt Jughead tugging on her hand and she looked up at him. 

“You look gorgeous.” 

“You always know what to say,” she murmured against his lips, not caring she left a streak of dark red brown lipstick on his lips. 

They were still kissing when Betty opened the door. “Sorry to interrupt,” she laughed. “But please come in.” 

Was it weird? A little. A little weird they had swapped partners- Archie and Jug. Not like Betty had any moral high ground about Veronica dating her ex- she WAS the one who cheated on said ex and ended up with Veronica’s ex boyfriend. 

And that was where this all began, over a year ago. When Archie had broken her heart right before graduation. When Jughead confronted Veronica about the cheating in the lobby of the Pembrooke. When she had first invited him into her room for a drink and a line of coke. 

When she became Jughead’s girl, a Veronica Lodge so different than the one before she barely recognized herself. 

Veronica untangled herself from Jughead so she could hug her best friend. Betty squeezed tightly and Veronica found herself sucking in a sharp breath as Betty’s arms dug into her rib cage. 

“Sorry,” Betty said, tilting her head to the side. “I…can feel your ribs. You’re so skinny now, V.” 

“Thanks,” Veronica smiled flippantly, but she felt her heart sink a little. Just one more thing for Betty to add to the “V and Jug Have a Problem” list. 

But they didn’t have time to get into that- Archie and Jughead were pulling them into the house, talking a mile a minute. Archie handed Veronica a glass of wine with a kiss on her cheek as Betty guided her to the backyard, chatting about some kind of new patio furniture they had bought. 

V nodded along, feeling that familiar sense of uneasiness. It would creep up, unbidden, at the worst times. Sitting there on Betty’s pristine new patio furniture, the garden perfectly planted around them, watching her best friend and former love of her life in romantic bliss….that feeling would come back. That itchy feeling, the slight bee sting of pain as she remembered what they had done to her. How they had broken her heart. 

Even though it had led her to Jughead. 

“V?” 

“Hmm?” Veronica pulled herself out of her thoughts. “I’m sorry, B, what?” 

“Do you want more wine? You’ve already finished that glass.” 

“Yes, please.” 

Betty smiled as she took the glass, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. As she headed into the kitchen, she peeked around the corner to see Jughead and Archie talking animatedly about some new guitar. Jughead looked pale, but not really different than usual. 

She started pouring the wine, biting her lip. She had tried talking to Archie about Jughead and Veronica’s drug use. He had blown her off, saying they just liked to party. 

She knew it was going beyond that. But she knew if she said anything to Jug, he would shut down and pull away from them. V was her only hope, and she could feel V slipping away. 

“Here’s your wine,” she plastered a smile on her face as she headed back out. “Are you feeling okay, V? How are you and Jug these days?” 

An image of Jughead kissing down her body flashed through Veronica’s mind. She felt that familiar tingle of heat shiver over her. She grinned. “Uh huh.” 

Betty didn’t ask her to elaborate. 

V had a lot of fun, but at one point she felt that achy emptiness in the bottom of her stomach. She shook her head, trying to will it away, but it wouldn’t go. She went into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. 

“What are you doing, Veronica? Get it together.” She applied a fresh coat of lipstick and ignored how her hand was shaking. 

She let out a breath. “I want to get high. Because I want to. I don’t need to.” 

When she left the bathroom, she found Jughead standing outside the door. He gave her that look, with his head cocked and his eyes smoldering. That look meant he wanted one of two things…

“Want to get high?” 

“Oh, yes,” she breathed. “But not here. Betty’s already on my case.” 

Back at their place, Veronica turned on radio and let the windows shake with the sound of the bass. 

She knew what Betty would say. That this was going to end up killing her. That she couldn’t live on a diet of coke, sex with Jug and loud music forever. 

But she wanted to try. Because a long time ago, she figured out what made her soul not feel numb. Sex and drugs. 

It was enough for now. She couldn’t think about forever. She couldn’t think about tomorrow. 

She climbed into Jughead’s lap and kissed him, her hands running through his hair.


End file.
